The Tree Tent Hotel

Rotterdam-based tent architect Dré Wapenaar has created an amazing decentralized hotel that combines tree houses with tents. Part of the Pit landscape art festival in Belgium, Wapenaar’s so-called ‘Tranendreef’ consists of four teardrop-shaped sculptures that are hanging from standard trees and provide an alternative form of accommodation to spend a night in the town of Haspengouw.

The ‘S(ch)austall Project’ of Stuttgart-based FNP Architekten shows another perspective on the re-use of ruins and other abandoned buildings and can be considered a contribution to the vitality of the landscape by restoring and re-using its traditional landmarks.

Why do we build solid houses of bricks and concrete to lock ourselves up, while there is so much more to see in the world? According to Bitrebels we spend so much time of our lives sitting in the same boring room, while it actually becomes possible to experience the world a little more nomadic.

It was one year ago that we brought you news of WikiHouse, the innovative open-source concept for housebuilding from London-based design team 00:/ (zero zero). The idea is to bring house design and construction to the masses through open-source designs that use easy-to-assemble CNC cutouts from standard sheets of plywood. Anyone can contribute designs, download models (that can generate code for CNC cutting) and assemble the components with minimal training or skill. We’ve already seen IKEA dabble in urbanism. Imagine if they were to offer flat-packaged self-assembly houses — you would probably get something very much like a WikiHouse! Since we’ve last reported on this project, much progress has been made.